Every now and again, ordinary people perform extraordinary acts that renew our confidence in humanity.Why not forward this heartfelt post that was shared on Facebook a few years ago? It makes me cry every time I see it.It is the story of a father who recalls the time a girl unexpectedly entered his workplace and enquired about his autistic kid.
The desires of special needs children are frequently no different from those of other youngsters their age.Any 17-year-old would prioritize finding a date for the school dance, so it might be a harsh blow to one’s self-confidence if no one agrees to go.
Going alone can be equivalent to social ruin for a teenager; while it may not seem like a huge concern in the larger scheme of things, this can seriously undermine self-confidence.
Children with specific problems, such as autism, may be even more hypersensitive and lack the abilities necessary to fully absorb everything. In this tale, the father, Mike Larson, made the decision to record what transpired as his autistic son, Jon, got ready for his high school prom. He then posted the entire account on Facebook, where millions of users have since shared and loved it. Look it up below!
“This is my son Jon with his prom date Maddi,” wrote Mike in the caption of his prom photo post. “He is a junior and he has autism. About a month ago, Maddi, a senior, came to my office (I’m a teacher at their school) and asked if Jon’s mom and I would allow her to take him to prom.”
Mike continued, “Maddi had gotten to know Jon through a school club that promotes friendships between special needs kids and regular kids. “He’s a junior,” she explained “so it’s his prom too. I just think he should have the chance to go.” I told her we would be honored to have him go with her.”
In addition to picking Jon to accompany her to her senior prom, Maddi also wanted him to experience the best night of his life. She performed some research and discovered that Jon’s favorite color was orange, which allowed her to purchase a garment in that hue. She also reserved a table at the eatery that featured his favorite meals, chicken fingers, French fries, and chocolate milk, for their group (which they doubled with another couple).
Maddi wanted to ask his father if it would be fine before inviting Jon to the dance.
“It was a pretty breathtaking moment for me,” Mike Larson told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
According to Mike, he had three reasons for making the prom photo post on social media.
1. “to show support for special kids like Jon.”
2. “to show support for groups that promote these friendships.”
3. “to remind us all, in a time when we hear about all the terrible things going on, that there are wonderful kids like Maddi working to make other’s lives better.“
The viral prom photo was first shared in 2013, and Mike Larson subsequently provided updates on the couple’s post-prom lives.
In 2019, he celebrated that the post had reached 1 million shares and that his text had been spread worldwide. He also explained how everyone was doing: “Many have asked how Jon is doing. He is well and happy, still living at home.”
Mike also revealed that Maddi is now married and sometimes feels “embarrassed” by all the attention – she didn’t see this as a special thing. Mike concluded the post by saying, “Thanks to all who have wished them well.”
When Jon was given his autism diagnosis more than 16 years ago, his father imagined a number of different outcomes. One was that his autistic son would never attend a prom. But Maddi made it possible for Jon to not only attend prom but also have a great night!
”It’s something I never thought would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it’s happened in such a beautiful way,” Mike Larson said. ”And to have it go on and bless the lives of other people is beyond anything I ever could have hoped for. It will be one of the nicest memories of our lives.”
My baby kid turned 20 years old today. Jon, I adore you a lot.On January 19, 2015, Mike Larson published a blog entry.
I can really appreciate that there are still nice and warm people out there – it spreads hope to us all. If you also like this story, feel free to follow the father’s request and share it with your loved ones too!
This young lady is so sweet & considerate for asking his parents first I hope they had many photos taken of them to remember that special event!
